Spring Wind

I was positively exhausted last night and slept as hard as I can remember, well past my usual rising hour. But turning over at least once in the early morning dark, I lay listening to the sounds of birds. I love spring. The other day, upon returning from work to find that my crocuses had popped up, I nearly cried with relief.

When I finally got up, ground my coffee, and stepped outside to get my Sunday paper, I thought this would be a slow day. I needed it to be, but as usual, we spent it grocery shopping, cooking, doing homework. We did get to the park to enjoy the warm -- warm! -- breezes, play on the slides, check on the turtles. We knocked around with the neighbors a bit, and right now, with full bellies, the kids are back outside for one last hurrah before I pull the plug.

But it's hard to resist the glory of spring and these first few warm days. The kids and I will sleep extra hard again tonight, after our day of fresh air -- how I love to have the windows and screen doors open when I'm cooking.

Last night just before bed, I heard on WKSU a song I hadn’t listened to in a while. It’s by Greg Brown, a genuine troubadour who looks more like he repairs Harleys and fishes up in the UP than writes the most beautiful love songs and craziest story songs you’ve ever heard. I entreat you to check him out, and provide this beautiful song to tease you.

I hope wherever you may be that Spring Wind catches you for a while today.


Spring Wind
By Greg Brown
First released on Dream Café

I lived awhile without you,
darn near half my life.
I no longer see our unborn children,
Run to you my unwed wife.
But yesterday I had a vision,
beneath the tree where we once talked,
of an old couple burning
their love letters so their children
won't be shocked.

[chorus:]
Love calls like the wild birds--
it's another day.
A Spring wind blew my list of
things to do away.

My friends are gettin’ older,
so I guess I must be too.
Without their loving kindness,
I don't know what I'd do.
Oh the wine bottle's half empty--
the money's all spent.
And we're a cross between our parents
and hippies in a tent.

[repeat chorus]

In a mucked up lovely river,
I cast my little fly.
I look at that river and smell it
and it makes me wanna cry.
Oh to clean our dirty planet,
now there's a noble wish,
and I'm puttin my shoulder to the wheel
'cause I wanna catch some fish.

[repeat chorus]

Children go to sleep now--
you know it's gettin' late.
I know you don't like to miss nothin'
and school ain't that great.
Oh, I'll dance with you when you're happy,
and hold you when you're sad,
and hope you know how glad I am,
just to be you're Dad.

[repeat chorus]

Darlin' it's been a hard go
but I think we'll be okay.
I know I say that all the time
like everything else I say.
Oh, I've been gone so often,
but every time I miss you,
and I don't really know nothin',
Except I like to kiss you.

[repeat chorus]